| Background: |
After World War
II, a republic was set up in the southern half of the Korean
Peninsula while a communist-style government was installed
in the north. The Korean War (1950-53) had US and other UN
forces intervene to defend South Korea from North Korean
attacks supported by the Chinese. An armistice was signed in
1953 splitting the peninsula at the 38th parallel known as
the DMZ. Thereafter, South Korea achieved rapid economic
growth, with per capita income rising to 13 times the level
of North Korea. In 1997, the nation suffered a severe
financial crisis from which it continues to make a solid
recovery. South Korea has also maintained its commitment to
democratize its political processes. In June 2000, a
historic first south-north summit took place between the
south's President KIM Dae-jung and the north's leader KIM
Chong-il. In December 2000, President KIM Dae-jung won the
Noble Peace Prize for his lifeling committment to democracy
and human rights in Asia. He is the first Korean to win a
Nobel Prize. |
| Location: |
Eastern Asia,
southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Sea of
Japan and the Yellow Sea |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
37 00 N, 127 30 E |
| Area: |
total:
98,480 sq km
land: 98,190 sq km
water: 290 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly larger
than Indiana |
| Land
boundaries: |
total:
238 km
border countries: North Korea 238 km |
| Maritime
claims: |
contiguous
zone: 24 NM
continental shelf: not specified
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM; between 3 NM and 12 NM
in the Korea Strait |
| Climate: |
temperate, with
rainfall heavier in summer than winter |
| Terrain: |
mostly hills and
mountains; wide coastal plains in west and south |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point:
Sea of Japan 0 m
highest point: Halla-san 1,950 m |
| Natural
resources: |
coal, tungsten,
graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower potential |
| Land
use: |
arable land:
19%
permanent crops: 2%
permanent pastures: 1%
forests and woodland: 65%
other: 13% (1993 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
13,350 sq km
(1993 est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
occasional
typhoons bring high winds and floods; low-level seismic
activity common in southwest |
| Environment
- current issues: |
air pollution in
large cities; acid rain; water pollution from the discharge
of sewage and industrial effluents; drift net fishing |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party to:
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living
Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands,
Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol |
| Population: |
47,904,370 (July
2001 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
21.59% (male 5,475,453; female 4,864,918)
15-64 years: 71.14% (male 17,291,202; female
16,789,380)
65 years and over: 7.27% (male 1,352,312;
female 2,131,105) (2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
0.89% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
14.85
births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
5.93 deaths/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
0 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth:
1.11 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.13 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2001
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
7.71 deaths/1,000
live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 74.65 years
male: 70.97 years
female: 78.74 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
1.72 children
born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
0.01% (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
3,800 (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths: |
180 (1999 est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun:
Korean(s)
adjective: Korean |
| Ethnic
groups: |
homogeneous
(except for about 20,000 Chinese) |
| Religions: |
Christian 49%,
Buddhist 47%, Confucianist 3%, Shamanist, Chondogyo
(Religion of the Heavenly Way), and other 1% |
| Languages: |
Korean, English
widely taught in junior high and high school |
| Literacy: |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98%
male: 99.3%
female: 96.7% (1995 est.) |
| Country
name: |
conventional
long form: Republic of Korea
conventional short form: South Korea
local long form: Taehan-min'guk
local short form: none
note: the South Koreans generally use the term
"Han-guk" to refer to their country
abbreviation: ROK |
| Government
type: |
republic |
| Administrative
divisions: |
9 provinces (do,
singular and plural) and 7 metropolitan cities* (gwangyoksi,
singular and plural); Cheju-do, Cholla-bukto, Cholla-namdo,
Ch'ungch'ong-bukto, Ch'ungch'ong-namdo, Inch'on-gwangyoksi*,
Kangwon-do, Kwangju-gwangyoksi*, Kyonggi-do, Kyongsang-bukto,
Kyongsang-namdo, Pusan-gwangyoksi*, Soul-t'ukpyolsi*,
Taegu-gwangyoksi*, Taejon-gwangyoksi*, Ulsan-gwangyoksi* |
| Independence: |
15 August 1945
(from Japan) |
| National
holiday: |
Liberation Day,
15 August (1945) |
| Constitution: |
25 February 1988 |
| Legal
system: |
combines elements
of continental European civil law systems, Anglo-American
law, and Chinese classical thought |
| Suffrage: |
20 years of age;
universal |
| Executive
branch: |
chief of
state: President KIM Dae-jung (since 25 February
1998)
head of government: Prime Minister YI Han-tong
(since 23 May 2000)
cabinet: State Council appointed by the
president on the prime minister's recommendation
elections: president elected by popular vote
for a single five-year term; election last held 18 December
1997 (next to be held by 18 December 2002); prime minister
appointed by the president; deputy prime ministers appointed
by the president on the prime minister's recommendation
election results: KIM Dae-jung elected
president; percent of vote - KIM Dae-jung (NCNP) 40.3% (with
ULD partnership), YI Hoe-chang (GNP) 38.7%, YI In-che (NPP)
19.2% |
| Legislative
branch: |
unicameral
National Assembly or Kukhoe (273 seats total - 227 elected
by direct, popular vote; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 13 April 2000 (next to be
held NA April 2004)
election results: percent of vote by party -
NA%; seats by party - GNP 133, MDP 115, ULD 17, other 8 |
| Judicial
branch: |
Supreme Court
(justices are appointed by the president with the consent of
the National Assembly) |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
Grand National
Party or GNP [YI Hoe-chang, president]; Millennium
Democratic Party or MDP [KIM Dae-jung, president]; United
Liberal Democrats or ULD [KIM Chong-p'il, honorary chairman,
KIM Chong-ho, acting president]
note: on 20 January 2000, the National Congress
for New Politics or NCNP was renamed the Millennium
Democratic Party or MDP |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
Federation of
Korean Industries; Federation of Korean Trade Unions; Korean
Confederation of Trade Unions; Korean National Council of
Churches; Korean Traders Association; Korean Veterans'
Association; National Council of Labor Unions; National
Democratic Alliance of Korea; National Federation of
Farmers' Associations; National Federation of Student
Associations |
| International
organization participation: |
AfDB, APEC, ARF
(dialogue partner), AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner),
Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA (observer), IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS
(observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UNTAET, UNU, UPU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador YANG Song-chol
chancery: 2450 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 939-5600
FAX: [1] (202) 387-0205
consulate(s) general: Anchorage, Atlanta,
Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New
York, San Francisco, and Seattle
consulate(s): Hagatna (Guam) |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador (vacant)
embassy: 82 Sejong-ro, Chongro-ku, Seoul
110-710
mailing address: American Embassy, Unit 15550,
APO AP 96205-0001
telephone: [82] (2) 397-4114
FAX: [82] (2) 738-8845 |
| Flag
description: |
white with a red
(top) and blue yin-yang symbol in the center; there is a
different black trigram from the ancient I Ching (Book of
Changes) in each corner of the white field |
| Economy
- overview: |
As one of the
Four Dragons of East Asia, South Korea has achieved an
incredible record of growth. Three decades ago GDP per
capita was comparable with levels in the poorer countries of
Africa and Asia. Today its GDP per capita is seven times
India's, 16 times North Korea's, and comparable to the
lesser economies of the European Union. This success through
the late 1980s was achieved by a system of close
government/business ties, including directed credit, import
restrictions, sponsorship of specific industries, and a
strong labor effort. The government promoted the import of
raw materials and technology at the expense of consumer
goods and encouraged savings and investment over
consumption. The Asian financial crisis of 1997-99 exposed
certain longstanding weaknesses in South Korea's development
model, including high debt/equity ratios, massive foreign
borrowing, and an undisciplined financial sector. By 1999
GDP growth had recovered, reversing the substantial decline
of 1998. Seoul has pressed the country's largest business
groups to restructure and to strengthen their financial
base. Growth in 2001 likely will be a more sustainable rate
of 5%. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power
parity - $764.6 billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
9% (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power
parity - $16,100 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
5.6%
industry: 41.4%
services: 53% (1999 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
NA% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
2.9%
highest 10%: 24.3% (1993) |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
2.3% (2000) |
| Labor
force: |
22 million (2000) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
services 68%,
industry 20%, agriculture 12% (1999) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
4.1% (2000 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$81.8 billion
expenditures: $94.9 billion, including capital
expenditures of $6.1 billion (1999) |
| Industries: |
electronics,
automobile production, chemicals, shipbuilding, steel,
textiles, clothing, footwear, food processing |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
17% (2000) |
| Electricity
- production: |
250.287 billion
kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
59.22%
hydro: 1.64%
nuclear: 39.12%
other: 0.02% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
232.767 billion
kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
rice, root crops,
barley, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs, chickens, milk,
eggs; fish |
| Exports: |
$172.6 billion
(f.o.b., 2000) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
electronic
products, machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, steel,
ships; textiles, clothing, footwear; fish |
| Exports
- partners: |
US 20.5%, Japan
11%, China 9.5%, Hong Kong 6.3%, Taiwan 4.4% (1999) |
| Imports: |
$160.5 billion
(f.o.b., 2000) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
machinery,
electronics and electronic equipment, oil, steel, transport
equipment, textiles, organic chemicals, grains |
| Imports
- partners: |
US 20.8%, Japan
20.2%, China 7.4%, Saudi Arabia 4.7%, Australia 3.9% (1999) |
| Debt
- external: |
$137 billion
(November 2000) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$NA |
| Currency: |
South Korean won
(KRW) |
| Exchange
rates: |
South Korean won
per US dollar - 1,271.89 (January 2001), 1,130.96 (2000),
1,188.82 (1999), 1,401.44 (1998), 951.29 (1997), 804.45
(1996) |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
24 million (1999) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
27 million (June
2000) |
| Telephone
system: |
general
assessment: excellent domestic and international
services
domestic: NA
international: fiber-optic submarine cable to
China; the Russia-Korea-Japan submarine cable; satellite
earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian
Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific Ocean region) |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 106, FM 97,
shortwave 6 (1999) |
| Radios: |
47.5 million
(1997) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
121 (plus 850
repeater stations and the eight-channel American Forces
Korea Network) (1999) |
| Televisions: |
15.9 million
(1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.kr |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
11 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
15.3 million
(2000) |
| Railways: |
total:
6,240 km
standard gauge: 6,240 km 1.435-m gauge (525 km
electrified) (1998 est.) |
| Highways: |
total:
87,534 km
paved: 65,388 km (including 1,996 km of
expressways)
unpaved: 22,146 km (1999) |
| Waterways: |
1,609 km
note: restricted to small native craft |
| Pipelines: |
petroleum
products 455 km; note - additionally, there is a parallel
petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) pipeline being
completed |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Chinhae, Inch'on,
Kunsan, Masan, Mokp'o, P'ohang, Pusan, Tonghae-hang, Ulsan,
Yosu |
| Merchant
marine: |
total:
496 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,421,993 GRT/8,757,034
DWT
ships by type: bulk 105, cargo 168, chemical
tanker 38, combination bulk 5, container 49, liquefied gas
16, multi-functional large-load carrier 1, passenger 3,
petroleum tanker 70, refrigerated cargo 27, roll on/roll off
4, short-sea passenger 1, specialized tanker 4, vehicle
carrier 5 (2000 est.) |
| Airports: |
102 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
68
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 18
1,524 to 2,437 m: 16
914 to 1,523 m: 11
under 914 m: 21 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total:
34
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 32 (2000 est.) |
| Heliports: |
203 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
Army, Navy, Air
Force, Marine Corps, National Maritime Police (Coast Guard) |
| Military
manpower - military age: |
18 years of age |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age
15-49: 14,148,552 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age
15-49: 8,979,778 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - reaching military age annually: |
males:
394,397 (2001 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$12 billion
(2000) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
3.2% (FY98/99) |
| Disputes
- international: |
Demarcation Line
with North Korea; Liancourt Rocks (Takeshima/Tokdo) disputed
with Japan |
|
